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Car buyers in the state of Michigan aren't keeping up with the rest of
the country in terms of hybrid and electric car purchases, reports
Edmunds.com, the premier resource for automotive information.

Edmunds.com's analysis of Polk's new car registration data finds that
1.5 percent of all new electric vehicles sold so far in the U.S. this
year were registered in Michigan, ranking the state 20th in
the nation. This rate is less than half the state's share of all new car
registrations in the U.S., where Michigan ranks 9th overall at 3.7
percent. The Great Lakes State also buys a lower proportion of the
country's hybrid vehicles (1.8%), ranking 17th in the nation.

The news comes in what's shaping up to be the strongest year yet for
alternative fuel vehicles nationwide. Edmunds.com found that 3.4 percent
of new car registrations this year (through August) were hybrid or
electric vehicles, which is a full percentage point higher than the rate
of 2.4 percent for all of 2011.

“Mainstream car buyers have been slow to accept hybrid and electric
vehicles, but the numbers are trending up, and you can almost hear a
sigh of relief from automakers who made big bets on these vehicles,”
said Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell. “As more alt-fuel
vehicles come to the market and as prices for these cars become more
affordable, we expect a higher percentage of shoppers will at least
consider an alternative fuel vehicle the next time they're buying a new
car.”

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